Combustion gas producing apparatus



Sept. 12, 1950 5. ca. GLICK 2,522,220

COMBUSTION GAS PRODUCING APPARATUS t Filed Feb. 23, 1945 FURNACE Inventor:

Sylvan G. Glick, wav dj y His Attorney.

Patented Sept. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE f "2j,522,220 Y COMBUSTION GAS PRODUCING APPARATUS Sylvan G. Glick, Schenectady, N. Y. assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application February 23, 1945,, Serial No. 579,402 1 Claim. (01. Ed -281) Myinvention relates to combustion gas producing apparatus, more particularly to gas pro ducing apparatus of the combustion type such as inch, to a combustion chamber where the mix.

ture is burned. The products of combustion are then conveyed by suitable, conduit means through a gas purifier, a condenser wherein the gas is cooled and part of the moisture condensed out of the gas, a Water separator and trap wherein the condensed water is discharged and thence to the furnace. I have found that the conventional valve type water trap has certain disad vantages, such as stoppage from the accumulations. of dirt in the valve, leakage of gas through.

the valve, and sticking of the valve-in its closed position when the apparatus has been out, of operation'for a considerable period of time.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a water head overflow for the discharge of the condensed water wherein a large discharge opening is maintained at all times, andthe possibility. of leakage is obviated. I also provide a valve which normally is maintained in its open position by the water but which closes to prevent'the escape of gas in the event of a greatly increased gas pressure, such as when the supply of gas to the furnace is discontinued temporarily with the gas producer remaining in operation.

For a more complete understanding of my invention, reference should be had to the accom panying drawing, Fig. 1 of which is a diagrammatic representation of combustion gas producing apparatus for a furnace embodying my invention; while Fig. 2 is an enlarged viewof the water trap and water leg device of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown my invention in one form as applied to gas'produm ing apparatus of the combustion type for supplying a gas atmosphere to furnaces of the'type disclosed in Patent 2,085,584, issued on June '29;

1937, to Orin S. Haskell. This combustion apparatus comprises a motor driven centrifugal pump ill for forcing a mixture of fuel and air at a predetermined pressure, such as two pounds a square inch, into a combustion chamber H where the mixture is burned in contact with fragments l2'of a catalyst brick nearly filling the chamber, The fuel may, for example, be artificial or natural hydrocarbon gas and it is supplied through a pipe l3 and a shutoff valve [4 toja mixing valve [5 in which a predetermined proportion of air is mixed with thefuel as de-{ termined by the position of the handle It. The mixture passes from the mixing valve IE to the pump ill, by means of which it is supplied under pressure to the combustion chamber.

.From the combustion chamber, the gaseous product resulting from the burning of the gas. and air mixture passes first through suitablecon duit means to a purifier IT for removing, if desired, any small quantity of oxygen remaining in the products of combustion. From the purifier, the gas passes through a suitable conduit in a condenser or cooler 18 in which cooling water is passed around the conduit and the gasthereby cooled to a relatively low temperature for the condensation of a desired portion of the moisture inthe gas. Cooling water is circulated through the condenser H] by means of an inlet conduit 19 and an outlet conduit 2U. From the condenser, the gas passes through a water separator 2| of a suitable. baflie type. From the condenser, the thus purified and cooled gas passes through a shutoff valve 22, and thence to the furnace 23 of a suitable type, such as an electric furnace for.

heat treating metals.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a combined water trap and water head device 24.

for, controlling the discharge of the condensed water from the water separator 2i.

. conduit 38 with the bottom discharge opening of the water separator 2!. her 21 is a substantially central discharge opening (3i associated with which is a movable valve member 32 having a stem 33 extending upward throughanaperture in a guide member ild and secured at its upper end to a float 35. At

its lower end thewall of the opening 3i connects with a horizontal opening 36 forming a duct in the support 21, the outer end of which duct is As shown: in Fig. 2, this device comprises a chamber 25 In the bottom meme connected to an upwardly extending conduit 31. This conduit extends upward for a suitable distance to give a desired head of water and at its upper end it is connected to a horizontal discharge pipe 38 which terminates in a downwardly positioned elbow 39. As shown, the connection between the pipes 37 and 38 is made by means of a T 4!] although an elbow may be used. When a T is used, as shown, the upper end of the T is closed by a suitable plug 4|.

In the operation of the apparatus, a small quantity of water is first poured into the chamber 25 and the pipe 31 so as to form a water head and raise the valve member 32 to its uppermost position to open completely the opening 3|. This water may be poured in conveniently by removing the plug ll in the T connection. In a typical apparatus, about one gallon of water was required to substantially fill the chamber 25 and the pipe 31.

The gas producer is then started by operating the pump it and opening the fuel supply valve 1 4, after which the valve 42 is momentarily opened and the mixture in the chamber l I ignited. Then the valve 42 is closed and the burning continues as long as the fuel mixture is supplied by the pump 10. It is assumed that the valve 22 is open and that the gas flows into the chamber of the furnace 23 which is substantially gas tight except for unavoidable small leaks around the door (not shown) for the charging opening of the furnace. At first, the burned gas displaces the air in the conduit connections, which air leaks out of the furnace and then the burned gas reaches the furnace chamber. Thereafter, the furnace chamber is purged of air by the incoming burned gas and the furnace is then ready for operation at the desired high temperature. The furnace may be heated and brought up to temperature partly or wholly before the gas producer is started. The permissible temperature of the furnace before it is filled with the gas depends, of course, upon the oxidizing characteristics of metal parts of the furnace itself and the charge to be heated. In the annealing of steel, the furnace must be completely purged of air before the steel is raised to a temperature at which it will oxidize to an objectionable extent in the presence of air.

The water condensed out of the burned gas passes into the chamber 25 and, when the pipe 31 is filled, overflows and discharges through the pipe 38 and the elbow 39. During these normal operating conditions, the pressure of the burned gas in the separator if, as well as at the point of admission to the furnace, is relatively low as compared with the pressure maintained by the blower H]. For example, the pressure of the gas when admitted to the furnace may be the equivalent of only two inches of water. The Waterhead provided by the pipe 31 is a suitable wide margin above the gas pressure. In a typical apparatus, the water head provided by the pipe 3'! and its connections above the lowermost point of the conduit 36 was approximately fifteen inches. This water head must be high enough to assure that the float 35 and the valve member 32 are maintained in their extreme uppermost positions during normal operating conditions thereby to provide a water leg discharge opening for the maximum freedom of flow of the condensed water and any dirt or deposits in it out through the opening 3| and the conduits of the water leg. In other words, the water head provided by the pipe 31 must be substantially higher than thatwater head required to lift the float and valve member 4 to their full open positions; in the system described at least two inches higher to balance the normal pressure of the gas in the separator 2|. It is important, however, that the overflow water level be no higher than the bottom of the separa tor 2| to prevent water stoppage of the flow of gas through the separator.

While this water head is ample to take care of any variations in the pressure of the burned gas during normal furnace operating conditions, it is not great enough to balance the full gas pressure of the blower Ill which appears in the event that the valve 22 is closed to shut off the supply of gas tothe furnace temporarily while the gas producer apparatus remains in operation. It will be understood that the decreased pressure in the gas producer system, from two pounds a square inch at the blower to only the equivalent of about two inches of water at the furnace, is caused by the gas pressure drop in the combustion chamber and other parts of the apparatus through which the gas is forced by the blower. Therefore, when the valve 22 is shut off, the gas pressure quickly builds up in the end conduit connections and the separator 2| to substantially the full pressure applied by the blower Ill. This increased pressure forces the Water downward through the pipe and out of the chamber 25 until the lowered water level in the chamber causes the float to move the valve member 32 downward and close the discharge opening 3!. Thereafter, under these conditions, the device 24 operates as a simple water trap, the float 35 opening the valve in response to an increased water level in the chamber 25 and reclosing the valve when the water has been forced out to a predetermined lower level.

It will further be observed that when the gas producing apparatus is shut down after normal operation with the normal amount of water in the chamber 25 and the conduits connected thereto, this water remains in the chamber 25 and thereby maintains the valve member 32 in its raised and open position even though the gas producer is shut down for a very considerable period. This obviates the possibility of the valve sticking in its closed position.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and I therefore contemplate by the appended claim to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

Apparatus for producing a moisture containing gas for use as a protective atmosphere in furnaces comprising, means for mixing air and a hydrocarbon gas in predetermined proportions, means for maintaining said gaseous mixture under a predetermined pressure, heat refractory walls forming a combustion chamber, conduit means for supplying said mixture to said combustion chamber thereby to produce a burned moisture containing gas, a cooling device for said combusted gas, conduit means for passing said gas under pressure from said combustion chamber through said cooling device whereby a portion of the moisture in said gas is condensed out, a combined watertrap and water head device positioned below said cooling device and comprising walls forming a chamber connected to said cooling device to receive water condensed from said gas, a lower. wall of said chamber being provided with a water drain orifice, a valve member movable within said chamber to open and close said that said float causes said valve member to close orifice, a float in said chamber connected to said said orifice and prevents the escape of gas valve member for the operation thereof, said float through said drain and water leg conduit. operating said valve member to open said orifice SYLVAN G. GLICK. when the float rises and to close said orifice when 5 it falls, and a combined drain and water leg con- REFERENCES CITED duit connected to the outlet of said orifice and The f llo i references are f record in the extending externally of said chamber upward to fil f this patent; a point higher than said fiat and lower than said cooling device and forming an overflow discharge 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS opening at said point, the height of the water Number Name Date level of said overflow discharge opening being 811,420 Marsh Jan. 30, 1906 at least equal to the sum of the height of water 874,112 Peck Dec. 17, 190'] head required to cause said float to maintain said 2,085,584 Haskell June 29, 1937 valve member in the open position plus an addi- 15 2,085,586 Hotchkiss June 29, 1937 tional height of water head equivalent to the normal pressure of the combusted gas in said appa- FOREIGN PATENTS ratus, whereby said orifice normally remains open u b r Country Date and water flows freely therethrough and through ,453 France Dec. 6, 1920 said drain and water leg conduit and is dis- 20 437,244 Germany 1926 charged through said overflow discharge opening, but an increase in combusted gas pressure in OTHER REFERENCES said apparatus above a predetermined value re- Chemical Eng. Catalog, 27th edition, 1942-3, duces the water level in said chamber sufficiently pages 747 and 1094. 

